Before David Liu became famous for inventing new forms of gene editing, he was known around academia in part for a more obscure innovation: a Rube Goldberg-esque system that uses bacteria-infecting viruses to take one protein and turn it into another.

Since 2011, Liu’s lab has used the system, called PACE, to dream up fantastical new proteins: DNA base editors far more powerful than the original; more versatile forms of the gene editor Cas9; insecticides that kill insecticide-resistant bugs; enzymes that slide synthetic amino acids into living organisms. But they struggled throughout to master one of the most common and powerful proteins in the biological world: proteases, a set of Swiss army knife enzymes that cut, cleave or shred other proteins in everything from viruses to humans.

Premium subscription required

Unlock this article along with other benefits by subscribing to one of our paid plans.

SIGN UP LOG IN

The FDA on Wednesday extended its four-year agreement with CN Bio, a developer of single- and multi-organ-on-chip systems used for drug discovery, for another three years.

CN Bio said the scope of the research performed by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has expanded to include the exploration of the company’s lung-on-a-chip system to help with the agency’s evaluation of inhaled drugs, in addition to the agency’s work on its liver model.

Premium subscription required

Unlock this article along with other benefits by subscribing to one of our paid plans.

SIGN UP LOG IN

A recent update to the FDA’s running tally of how it’s meeting its user fee-related performance goals during the pandemic shows an agency that is not out of the woods yet.

The latest numbers reveal that for a second straight quarter in 2021, the FDA has met its user fee goal dates for 93% of original new drug applications, which compares with 94% and 98% for the previous two quarters in 2020, respectively.

Premium subscription required

Unlock this article along with other benefits by subscribing to one of our paid plans.

SIGN UP LOG IN

Seven years after founding Roivant Sciences as an upstart contender in the world of biotech creation, Vivek Ramaswamy and his recently anointed CEO Matt Gline are gliding into Nasdaq on the gilded wings of a cash-heavy SPAC.

In a carefully crafted SPAC pact aimed at wedding new investors at Montes Archimedes Acquisition Corp. with a syndicate of investors coming back to re-up for the next round of company building, they’ve assembled a fresh $611 million in financing for Roivant — $411 million held in trust from the investors in MAAC with a fresh $200 million from the syndicate.

Premium subscription required

Unlock this article along with other benefits by subscribing to one of our paid plans.

SIGN UP LOG IN

Josh Bilenker and Jeff Engelman won’t be worrying about money for their stealthy startup anytime soon.

Late last week the pair filed a Form D for their new biotech Treeline Biosciences outlining a $212 million raise for their new company — which Bilenker founded around the time he ejected from his top position at Eli Lilly’s oncology group.

Their plan is to top out the raise at $220 million, but with Bilenker’s list of marquee investors on board for his latest creation, that won’t be much of a stretch.

Premium subscription required

Unlock this article along with other benefits by subscribing to one of our paid plans.

SIGN UP LOG IN